


Lights In The Sky

by John__Doe



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Court Cases, Death, Experimentation, Murder, Not Canon Compliant, Suffering, Tortures, Trials, War Crimes, atrocities, criminal trials, inhumane acts, nuremberg tribunals, trigger warning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-11
Updated: 2018-12-11
Packaged: 2019-09-16 01:36:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16944534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/John__Doe/pseuds/John__Doe
Summary: This is my approach to Kuvira's trial, which is heavily inspired by the real life Nuremberg Tribunals, and also not canon. The Nuremberg Tribunals, for those who may not know, were the court cases that convicted Nazi Collaborators after WWII.EXTREME TRIGGER WARNING AHEAD! This is extremely dark, and highly unsuitable for young children, or anyone who finds horrendous imagery on this scale highly disturbing. If so, than please don't read this.If anyone wishes, I will happily accept constructive criticism (I am not a lawyer, or anything near that, so I may not have everything down right)!





	Lights In The Sky

  
  
  


There was not a voice in the entire room. Hundreds of faces staring at an empty podium, and a mix of exhilaration and nervousness filled the room. At the center of the podiums, there was a large bronze seal stating Republic City in their original script. Two gas lanterns were on either side, above two doors which were as black as charcoal. The woman named Kuvira was led into the room, a pair of platinum cuffs holding her arms in place, and her husband Baatar Beifong Junior was led in a moment later to be sat at the podium next to Kuvira. The next two were also in platinum chains, but they were non-benders, specifically: Zhu Li Moon and Iknik Blackstone Varrick. Zhu Li had a blank face, while Varrick seemed to sweat profusely.

A man in plain dark clothing sat down at the highest of the three podiums, and tapped a small gong with an equally small mallet. The process was repeated with a larger gong which echoed dully through the bare room.

“Proceeding: the United Republic of Nations verse Kuvira and Collaborators. This court, assembled as the Republic City War Crimes Division, is now in session,” the man spoke in a low, deep voice, his placard revealing his name to be Court Minister Lei Sung. His face was tired, but the renewed gleam in his eyes was like two sparkling emeralds. Yet they were cold and removed from the situation, as if to keep an objective opinion. In retrospect, that may have been a good move.

“Prosecution, please proceed,” using his left hand, he motioned to the woman in a fancy getup, who clutched a stack of papers tightly in her hands, and she stood up. She walked just past her desk, be remained out of the well which could ensnare her if she got too close.

“Thank you, Court Minister Sung,” her smile was weak, and she had a peculiar motion about her. It had been nearly six months since Kuvira had been arrested, and it had taken nearly all of her time since that day to pour over every single communication, piece of evidence, paper, and each contract signed by the states under the formerly titled Earth Kingdom. It was the stare of exhaustion and pain of reading those terrible things during Kuvira’s reign. She pressed her index and ring finger into the dip of her glasses and slid them against her face as she shuffled through her papers a moment.

“Under the United Republic of Nations and with authorization from the Republic Council, I, June Yung have been appointed to charge the defendant who participated in Common Design or Conspiracy to commit and did so commit subsequent War Crimes, Crimes against Humanity, Crimes against Spirits, and other crimes enacted by the New Humanitarian Articles, the Ad Hoc War Crimes Council, and the Republic Council.

“These crimes, including the informed consent of the Defendant, include murder, cruelties, tortures, atrocities, and other inhumane acts as set forth by the Ad Hoc War Crimes Council, Humanitarian Articles V-VI, and the Republic Council, and common law. The Defendant is also subsequently charged with participating and the construction of a criminal organization, which has been labeled as such by the Republic Council and furthermore adapted by Common Council and Law under President Raiko.

“The accused stand as Defendant Kuvira, who ran as Administrator as expedited by the Republic Council and committed a coup against the former Earth King Wu, and installed a Dictatorship over the Earth Kingdom.

“Bataar Beifong Junior stands as the Defendants husband under common law, and collaborator in conspiracy to all aforementioned crimes.

“Iknik Blackstone Varrick stands as the Defendants Chief Scientific Officer, who developed Weapons against Humanity and Weapons against Spirits under the Humanitarian Article IV.

“Zhu Li Moon stands as the Defendants Junior Scientific Officer under and married to Iknik Blackstone Varrick, and also furthered and developed Weapons against Humanity and Weapons against Spirits under the Humanitarian Article IV.

“During the year of 171, the Defendant Kuvira was appointed title of Administrator and subsequently “The Great Unitor” under the newly formed Earth Empire. The agreement had been altered, and later stated at the coronation of Prince Wu where Defendant Kuvira refused to stand down, but the core principles of her regime remained the same until it was declared criminal and dissolved in 174. These principles were to overthrow the current monarchy and chaos ensued by the Red Lotus, regain stolen land which is now regarded as the United Republic of Nations, acquire new land and peoples for subjugating, to dominate erase those considered inferior to the Earth Empire and their subjects, and to bring order back the Earth Empire, as is considered a noble cause. The Defendant Kuvira planned to achieve these goals by any means necessary. These policies and principles were hidden for the first two years of her campaign, but became public knowledge when many files leaked.

“Commencing with Segment One:  **Conspiracy** . The Defendant furthered to a common design, unlawfully, willfully, and knowingly conspired and agreed together and with other persons to commit War Crimes, Crimes against Humanity, and Crimes against Spirits which are hereby defined under Humanitarian Articles V-VI and under Republic Council via Law Volume 3, Article III and Ad Hoc War Crimes Council War Crimes Law Volume 8, Section XI.

“All Defendants, acting of their own free will and consent, participated in the planning, preparation, initiation and waging of wars of aggression and invasion and are in violation of the Ad Hoc War Crimes Council War Crimes Laws Volume 6, Section V.

“From 171 through 174 all Defendants knowingly and consented to the waging of wars in and out of the Earth Kingdom, including all sovereign states from 171-174, the Metal Clans from 173-174, The United Republic of Nations during the year of 174, the Fire Nation during the year of 174, and Water Tribes during the year of 174.

“During these aggressions and invasions, many civilians and peoples were murdered, tortured, starved, enslaved, robbed, private property destroyed, collapsing industrial capacity, agriculture and food stuffs wasted, and mass amounts of economic and political chaos. The life, happiness, and property of the peoples were adversely affected and violated as a result of these aggressions.

”All Defendants consented to and are responsible for unlawfully, willfully, and knowingly participated as Leaders, Organizers, and Accomplices in institution of conspiracy to commit and commission War Crimes, Crimes against Humanity, and Crimes against Spirits.

“Common design encompasses plans and exercises to detain peoples based on nationality, dissent, and compact in concentration without consent. Furthermore, illegal and unethical experiments were conducted on detainees without consent, in which the course of events lead to the systematic murders, cruelties, atrocities, and other inhumane acts in detention facilities under “Reeducation Camps”.

“Defendants Kuvira and Baatar Beifong Junior both participated in, unlawfully, willfully, ordered, abetted, and encouraged atrocities and offences against against individuals and property, including plunder of private property, murder, extermination, enslavement, deportation, unlawful imprisonment, torture, persecutions on political, racial, and religious grounds, and crude treatment of, and other inhumane acts against hundreds of thousands of individuals, including Earth Kingdom civilians and Government Officials, those of foreign countries, and prisoners of war.

“From 171 through 174, citizens from the Water Tribes, Metal Clan, Fire Nation, and the United and Republic of Nations, were unlawfully detained by Defendants Kuvira and Baatar Beifong Junior and participated in, accessories to, ordered, abetted, took a consenting part in, and was connected to plans and enterprises related to foreign slave labor, deportation, detention, to Non-Earth Kingdom civilians of who are protected under the Humanitarian Articles I-XX.

“Citizens from the Water Tribes, Metal Clan, Fire Nation, and the United Republic of Nations were unlawfully detained by Defendants Kuvira and Baatar Beifong Junior and participated in, accessories to, ordered, abetted, took a consenting part in, and was connected to plans and enterprises concerning the use of civilian prisoners of war and development of weapons and Weapons of Mass Destruction.

“Citizens from the Water Tribes, Metal Clan, Fire Nation, and the United Republic of Nations were unlawfully detained by Defendants Kuvira and Baatar Beifong Junior and participated in, accessories to, ordered, abetted, took a consenting part in, and was connected to plans and enterprises in the planning and abuse of slave labor towards factories producing weapons, the production of ammunition, Mecha Tanks, Aircraft, and other weapons, as well as the coerced manning of weapons and aircraft.

“Citizens from the Water Tribes, Metal Clan, Fire Nation, and the United Republic of Nations were so deported to Reeducation Camps on maglev trains in barren, overcrowded containment units which resulted in death by overcrowding, suffocation, hunger, thirst, cold, disease, physical exhaustion and crude treatment from forces under the control of Defendants Kuvira and Baatar Beifong Junior.

“The execution of these plans were put upon citizens from the Water Tribes, Metal Clan, Fire Nation, and the United Republic of Nations, were unlawfully detained by Defendants Kuvira and Baatar Beifong Junior and participated in, accessories to, ordered, abetted, took a consenting part in, and was connected to plans and enterprises which unlawfully subjected those foreign and Earth Kingdom citizens into cruel and inhumane living and working conditions which resulted in horrifying suffering and unimaginable death. The treatment of these slave laborers was based on principle that they should be fed, sheltered, and exist on the lowest possible expenditure. Any detainees, those of foreign nationalities or those of the Earth Kingdom, who received any infractions at Reeducation Facilities were to receive the death penalty for dissent. These War Crimes, Crimes against Humanity, and Crimes against Spirits violates the Humanitarian Articles I-XX, the Republic Council Law Volume 1-6, Articles I-L.

“The Defendants and those under their control carried out, unlawfully, willfully, and consented to the systematic murder of detainees by way of hanging, whipping, beating, shooting, gassing, malnourishment, overcrowding, imposition of labor which required strength beyond their ability, experimentation of unconsenting detainees, inadequate provisions, inadequate clothing, inadequate shelter and sanitation, inadequate food, inadequate water, and inadequate containment.

“Violations of these Articles and the purported War Crimes, Crimes against Humanity, and Crimes against Spirits were conducted by forces incepted by the Defendant Kuvira and Baatar Beifong Junior to further criminal activity. This includes a standing army, task forces, and Police forces corrupted, and under complete control of the Defendants Kuvira and Baatar Beifong Junior.

“All sets of court systems in the Earth Kingdom were shut down during the Defendants reign from 171-174, and replaced by a People’s Court installed by the Defendants Kuvira and Baatar Beifong Junior to allow biased sentencing and control of the citizens, as well as the elimination of opposition and to further force submission from sovereign states within the Earth Kingdom. Interference was commonplace between Defendant Baatar Beifong Junior and the court systems, as well as well known lower courts, which were already been massively corrupted under Queen Hou-Ting. The court systems were successfully used a key tactic to reign terror, force submission, and to suppress political opposition during Defendant Kuvira’s regime.

“Those not of Earth Kingdom nationality were declared “Unfit” to serve in the regime, including but not limited to the Water Tribes, Metal Clan, Fire Nation, and the United Republic of Nations. These peoples were targeted by task forces created to deport those aforementioned people, and send them to Reeducation Camps under the guise of “Protected Custody”, but were instead labeled under those first for extermination.

“Show trials were common practice to instill fear, and to create fake justice to those who were alleged traitors of the Defendant’s reign which resulted in the unlawful imprisonment of individuals, murder, and crude treatment.

“Legally labeling those not of the Earth Kingdom as “Unfit”,“Unclean”, “Wasteful”, and “Useless Eaters” allowed the segregation of different benders and those of different nationalities, and allowed racial purity to become an important tactic in the control of citizens, and no matter which sentence was reached, all were sent to Reeducation Camps and eventually exterminated.

“These War Crimes, Crimes against Humanity, and Crimes against Spirits violates the Humanitarian Articles I-XX, the Republic Council Law Volume 3-4, Articles I-IX, and the Ad Hoc War Crimes Council War Crimes Law Volume 8, Article V-XIX.

“Segment Two:  **Experimentation** involves the years of 171 and the end of 174, as all aforementioned Defendants unlawfully, willfully, and knowingly committed War Crimes, Crimes against Humanity, and Crimes Against Spirits as defined in the Humanitarian Articles V-VI, the Republic Council Law Volume 3, Article III, and Ad Hoc War Crimes Council War Crimes Law Volume 8, Section XI. All Defendants participated unlawfully, willfully, knowingly, and consented to medical experiments, and experiments without patient consent, upon civilians both of Earth Kingdom origin and non, and the Defendants experiments resulted in the murder, cruelties, tortures, atrocities, and other inhumane acts. These experiments included are listed and explained on Evidence Piece K-13, and reads as follows:

“A - SPIRIT VINE EXPERIMENTS. During the end of 173 and to the end of 174 and subsequently the end of the War, experiments were carried out on unlawfully detained individuals who had been sent to Chenszei Reeducation Camp which pertained to the injection of synthesized Spirit Energy into the patient's extremities, inhalation of synthesized Spirit Energy, ingestion of synthesized Spirit Energy, detonation of synthesized Spirit Energy, and the notable attempt of murder on Zhu Li Moon using the Spirit Energy Weapon.

“B - REEDUCATION EXPERIMENTS. During the preceding year of 172 through 174 and subsequently the end of the War, experiments were carried out on unlawfully detained individuals who had been sent to Chenszei Reeducation Camp, Leigeru Reeducation Camp, Omeheru Reeducation Camp, and Tingweir Reeducation Camp. Over 589,000 Detainees went through several different treatments to cure and/or dilute dissent among those most adverse to the Defendants reign. The most common treatment was electroshock developed from Equalist and Future Industries Technologies. The second treatment was torture involving, but not limited to poisons, synthesized Spirit Energy, damage to extremities, and threat and/or use of bodily harm via multiple weapons such as blades, bats, as well as multiple forms of bending, most commonly Fire Bending and Earth bending. Nearly all of the test subjects died, but due to destroyed, incomplete, and conjecture records the nearly half of the corpses remain missing, and their names unknown.

“C - DISEASE EXPERIMENTS. During the year of 173, unlawful experiments pertaining to tainted water, controlled disease, were unknowingly administered to unconsenting, unlawfully detained peoples, especially those of non-Earth Kingdom origin. These experiments followed similar order, such as selecting garments or blankets of detainees and lacing disease across them to have it spread, as well as injecting diseases into different organs both internal and external, as well as the vascular system. Nearly 1,900 individuals were subjected to these experiments, and over one-in-six died. Most remained in serious agony, or permanent disability.

“D - REGENERATION EXPERIMENTS. From 171 through 174 and subsequently the end of the war, then Administrator Kuvira took special interest in the regeneration of limbs via the healing properties of Water Bending. These experiments primarily took place at Leigeru Reeducation Camp, and with Water Benders enslaved and forced to participate in said experiments. With high levels of damage to limbs, including but not limited to the complete removal of limbs, many subjects were in intense agony, mutilation, and permanent disability.

“E - WATER EXPERIMENTS. During the year of 172, there were fifteen conducted experiments using processed water via enslaved Water Benders, as well as a use of different chemical compounds to eliminate potential dangers. Subjects, primarily from Enchung Reeducation Camp, as it was located near the ocean before being burned to the ground, were starved and only given processed water, and which resulted in the intense agony of patients, and the later death of nearly ten.

“F - EXTERMINATION EXPERIMENTS. From the unofficial inauguration as Administrator of the criminal organization known as the Earth Empire to its subsequent downfall and removal of regimentation, there had been nearly fifty extermination experiments exclusively conducted of those of Non-Earth Kingdom origins. These experiments include, but are not limited to the puncture of metal into the skull and chest, injection of synthesized Spirit Energy into the brain and heart, sterilization, removal and experimentation on the brain and its cavity, and the firing upon detainees via the Spirit Energy Weapon. There are eighteen surviving records of the Spirit Energy Weapons use in experiments, most of which were used to vaporize patients and subsequently caused horrendous mental anguish.

“Segment Three:  **War Crimes, Crimes against Humanity, and Crimes against Spirits** results in the year of 171 and the end of 174. All Defendants knowing committed and participated in War Crimes, Crimes against Humanity, and Crimes against Spirits as defined by the Humanitarian Articles V-VI, the Republic Council Law Volume 3, Article III, Ad Hoc War Crimes Council War Crimes Law Volume 8, Section XI. Defendants Administrator Kuvira and Baatar Beifong Junior participated in, accessories to, ordered, abetted, consented to, and are connected with plans to sterilize and exterminate Non-Earth Kingdom detainees and citizens foreign residing in the Earth Kingdom under a program of coerced, assisted suicide. Under this program, over 900,000 human beings were exterminated under the Reeducation Program via coerced, assisted suicide.

“Between the start and the end of 173, Defendant Baatar Beifong Junior participated in Disease Experiments which resulted in the accidental release of dangerous diseases, and the systematic murder of Non-Earth Kingdom residents, especially those with bending abilities. Benders were highly discriminated against during the experiments from 171 through 174, resulting in a 90% murder rate from Benders to Non-Benders. This is a violation of the Humanitarian Articles V-VI, the Republic Council Law Volume 3, Article III, and Ad Hoc War Crimes Council War Crimes Law Volume 8, section XI, and all applicable Earth Kingdom laws.

“Between 172 and 174, Defendants Iknik Blackstone Varrick and Zhu Li Moon unlawfully, willfully, and knowingly committed War Crimes, Crimes against Humanity, and Crimes against Spirits pertaining to the abuse of spirit vines, synthesized Spirit Energy, and the development of Weapons of Mass Destruction prohibited under the Ad Hoc War Crimes Council War Crimes Law Volume 8, Section X-XI and Humanitarian Articles V-VI. Despite this, both aforementioned Defendants also counter attacked invasive forces directed by Administrator Kuvira during the Siege of Republic City, yet the development of the Weapon of Mass Destruction caused an insurmountable amount of damage to the city, the removal and theft of metal from the Metal Clans, and the overload and accidental creation of a new Spirit Portal is inexcusable.

“Segment Four: Membership of a  **criminal organization** . All Defendants stand accused of unlawfully, willfully, consenting to, and knowingly participating in a criminal organization declared so by the Republic Council Earth Empire War Crimes Bill, Section 1, Article I.

“Segment Five:  **Financing** a Criminal Organization. Defendants Kuvira and Baatar Beifong Junior are accused of ignoring private property rights and active murder and confiscation to fund their regime, as well as the coercion of states in the Earth Kingdom. 

“Help fund the Reeducation Camps and it’s illicit experiments and also install slave labor as to provide cheap labor.

“Carry out policies and purposes of their reign with reference to the deportation and extermination of foreign bodies.

“Carry out coerced, assisted suicide on those of foreign nationalities or those considered to be mentally unfit.

“Carry out acts pertaining to slave labor and services of detainees and those of foreign nationalities.

“Carry out the enrichment of leaders within the criminal organization on the abuse of others.

“Carry out the plunder of private property from those of Earth Kingdom and those of foreign nationalities.

“Carry out senseless pacification-through-terror to keep citizens from dissent and from outright rebellion.

“Segment Six:  **Siege of Republic City** . All Defendants participated in unlawfully, willfully, and consented in wars of aggression against the United Republic of Nations and Republic City. Defendant Kuvira and Baatar Beifong Junior knowingly, unlawfully, willfully, and consented to the attacking of civilians and private property including but not limited to illegal Mecha Tanks, and Weapons of Mass Destruction. Defendant Kuvira specifically ordered the activation of Weapons of Mass Destruction on civilian property, and subsequently tearing a new Spirit Portal into existence, nearly killing herself, and murdering Avatar Korra, and anyone still potentially in the city during the siege. This violates Humanitarian Articles VIII-IX on grounds of putting civilians at risk in a non designated warzone.

“The acts and conduct of all Defendants aforementioned at this hearing and sentencing were all unlawfully, willfully, and knowingly, and constitute violations of international war crimes laws set by the Ad Hoc War Crimes Council, the Republic Council, and the Humanitarian Laws. Violations were made to the Customs of War Act passed after the Hundred Year War, in which the general principles of Criminal Law, War Time Law, and War Crime Laws were violated against civilised nations, and thus declared, recognized, and defined as high crime by the Humanitarian Articles II-III and the Ad Hoc War Crimes Council.

“In these violations, the Defendants Kuvira and Baatar Beifong Junior will not receive a plea of free will, rather an authorized plea of Guilty as determined by the Republic Council, and sentenced to the removal of all bending and death by electrocution.

“Defendants Zhu Li Moon and Iknik Blackstone Varrick have a free will plea of guilty or not guilty, with a charge of six months of solitary confinement. This reduced sentence is due to the abandonment of the regime, and the subsequent work on ending the Siege of Republic City and ending their work to end Defendant Kuvira’s regime.”

The woman adjusted her glasses again, her cheeks red and small beads of sweat stuck to her forehead. She set her papers down on the plain wooden desk with a dull thud, and took out a small handkerchief to dab her forehead. The stack of papers wobbled for a moment, but did not fall. Once again, silence fell upon the court room.

Court Minister Lei Sung turned to look at each of the Defendants, and made piercing eye contact. Indifference remained on the outside, reflecting in his eyes, yet a disturbing nature hung in the court. The revelation of the extent of Kuvira’s war crimes was now known and absolute.

“Defendant Kuvira,” he spoke slowly, his voice eerily steady, “How do you plead?”

“Guilty.”

“Defendant Baatar Beifong Junior, how do you plead?”

“Guilty.”

“Defendant Iknik Blackstone Varrick, how do you plead?”

“Guilty.”

“Defendant Zhu Li Moon, how do you plead?”

“Guilty.”

“Defendant Kuvira is sentenced to the removal of bending, and death. Defendant Baatar Beifong Junior is sentenced to death. Defendant Iknik Blackstone Varrick is sentenced to six months of solitary confinement. Defendant Zhu Li Moon is sentenced to six months of solitary confinement.”

Two more rings of the gong, and yet the chambers had not a voice reverberating. “This court, Republic City War Crimes Division is no longer in session. The next trial will be two weeks from today, and subsequently follow over the next three years.”

All Defendants were lead off through those ominous, dark doors. None of them saying a word, and all watching the floor as they were taken away.

**Author's Note:**

> "Watching you drown  
> I'll follow you down  
> And I am here right beside you  
> The lights in the sky are waving goodbye  
> And I am here right beside you,"  
> -Nine Inch Nails, Lights In The Sky


End file.
